WHO Global Health Research Articles

Elevated Blood Pressure and Behavioral Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Disease Among School-Going Adolescents in Chengalpattu District, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Elevated Blood Pressure (BP), often termed the "silent killer," is characterized by a BP of 140/90 mmHg or higher, influenced by modifiable and non-modifiable factors, particularly during adolescence. Hypertension prevalence among Indian adolescents varies from 2% to 20.5%. Despite the critical impact of adolescent health on India's overall health landscape, literature on the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden and risk factors among Indian adolescents remains limited. The aim is to assess the prevalence of elevated BP and associated risk factors among school-going adolescents in Chengalpattu district. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chengalpattu district schools. Utilizing ChatGPT, multi-stage simple random sampling was performed to select 206 adolescents. They were surveyed using adapted questionnaire from the WHO Global School-Based Student Health Survey, covering sociodemographic details, behavioral risks, and anthropometric data and data analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results: Among the 206 participants, 54 (26.2%) had elevated BP. Key predictors of elevated BP were age, gender, family history, physical education, and serious injuries. Cyberbullying was also associated with elevated BP (P=0.020). Conclusions: The increasing trend of NCDs necessitates school and community-based campaigns for risk reduction. Further research on cyberbullying and long-term health interventions is recommended to improve adolescent health and reduce NCDs in Chengalpattu and beyond.

Diminishing marginal returns and sufficiency in health-care resource use: an exploratory analysis of outcomes, expenditure, and emissions

Increasing health expenditure in low-income countries is associated with rapid gains in health status. Less attention has been paid to the possibility of diminishing marginal returns to health expenditure at high levels of spending, or to the relationship between health-care greenhouse gas emissions and outcomes. Our study aimed to investigate the existence, scale, and implications of diminishing marginal returns to health-care expenditure and emissions. Segmented (piecewise) regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between two measures of health outcome from the Global Burden of Disease project (mortality amenable to health care [MAH] and health-adjusted life expectancy [HALE]), four aggregates of health expenditure per capita from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database, and health-care sector greenhouse gas emissions per capita derived from a 2020 study by Lenzen and colleagues. Turning point knots-points at which the elasticity or velocity of increasing returns to expenditure and emissions changed substantially-were estimated and countries in the vicinity of these knots identified. Rapidly increasing returns (improvements in population health as measured by MAH and HALE) to health expenditure were estimated in low-income and lower-middle-income countries; at levels of spending above approximately US$500 per capita, these returns start to slow. At levels of spending above those seen in high-income countries such as Italy (approximately US$3400), there is little or no evidence of further health returns to additional spending or to increasing health-care greenhouse gas emissions. Dramatic improvements in population health outcomes could be achieved by additional investment in health expenditure in low-income countries. Conversely, continuing growth in health expenditure in high-income countries will, by itself, be unlikely to yield rapid improvements in health outcomes. Our findings inform the emerging debate on the importance of sufficiency within planetary boundaries-low-income countries need rapid growth in health expenditure, whereas high-income countries could potentially achieve better health outcomes at substantially lower levels of resource use. None.

Premature mortality trends in 183 countries by cancer type, sex, WHO region, and World Bank income level in 2000-19: a retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. By 2040, over 30 million new cancers are predicted, with the greatest cancer burden in low-income countries. In 2015, the UN passed the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 (SDG 3.4) to tackle the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, which calls for a reduction by a third in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, including cancer, by 2030. However, there is a paucity of data on premature mortality rates by cancer type. In this study, we examine annual rates of change for cancer-specific premature mortality and classify whether countries are on track to reach SDG 3.4 targets. This is a retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study investigating premature mortality trends from 2000-19 using the WHO Global Health Estimates data. All cancers combined and thirteen individual cancers in 183 countries were examined by WHO region, World Bank income level, and sex. The risk of premature mortality was calculated for ages 30-69 years, independent of other competing causes of death, using standard life table methods. The primary objective was to compute average annual rate of change in premature mortality from 2000 to 2019. Secondary objectives assessed whether this annual rate of change would be sufficient to reach SDG 3.4. targets for premature mortality by 2030. This study was conducted using data retrieved for the years 2000-19. Premature mortality rates decreased in 138 (75%) of 183 countries across all World Bank income levels and WHO regions, however only eight (4%) countries are likely to meet the SDG 3.4 targets for all cancers combined. Cancers where early detection strategies exist, such as breast and colorectal cancer, have higher declining premature mortality rates in high-income countries (breast cancer 48 [89%] of 54 and colorectal cancer 45 [83%]) than in low-income countries (seven [24%] of 29 and four [14%]). Cancers with primary prevention programmes, such as cervical cancer, have more countries with declining premature mortality rates (high-income countries 50 [93%] of 54 and low-income countries 26 [90%] of 29). Sex-related disparities in premature mortality rates vary across WHO regions, World Bank income groups, and by cancer type. There is a greater reduction in premature mortality for all cancers combined and for individual cancer types in high-income countries compared with lower-middle-income and low-income countries. However, most countries will not reach the SDG 3.4 target. Cancers with early detection strategies in place, such as breast and colorectal cancers, are performing poorly in premature mortality compared with cancers with primary prevention measures, such as cervical cancer. Investments toward prevention, early detection, and treatment can potentially accelerate declines in premature mortality. WHO.

Global oral health initiative: World Health Organization strategic action plan.

Dentistry today is a profession which is facing several challenges: -Oral health is less good than thirty years ago, especially in thelow social-economic level countries and emerging countries. -A reduced or poorly distributed number of professionals, which necessarily implies unequal access to care. -Multiple social determinants which are more and more impacting oral health. To tackle these challenges, WHO launched the WHO Global Oral Health strategy which it goal is to guide Member States to: -develop ambitious national responses to promote oral health -reduce oral diseases, other oral conditions and oral health inequalities -strengthen efforts to address oral diseases and conditions as part of universal health coverage; and consider the development of targets and indicators, based on national and subnational contexts, building on the guidance to be provided by the WHO global action plan 2023-2030 on oral health.

Intakes from healthy and unhealthy food groups and obesity among 5- to 9-year-old South African children

The global pandemic of paediatric overweight and obesity, along with undernutrition among children in low-income countries pose challenges for future health. Unhealthy dietary intake among children is of great concern(1). The aim of this study was to determine the association between intakes from healthy and unhealthy food groups and adiposity among 5- to 9-year-old South African children (n = 920). Conventional dietary intake assessment methods are burdensome; therefore, a short unquantified food frequency questionnaire was developed based on the WHO Global school-based student health survey, which focused on healthy and unhealthy food groups. The new questionnaire includes four healthy food groups (fruits, vegetables, milk, meats) and six unhealthy food groups (hot sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), cold SSBs, cookies, candies, salty snacks, fast foods) with five different responses of frequency of intake per week. The food groups reflect foods generally eaten by South African school children. The questionnaire was completed by the parents. Weight and height were measured and WHO BMI z-score (BAZ) was calculated(2). Descriptive statistics were reported using median and interquartile range. Frequency of intakes from food groups were compared across tertiles of BAZ using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The correlation between frequency of intakes from different food groups, and between the food groups and BAZ was calculated. The children reported similar daily intakes from the milk (35.3%), cold SSBs (33%) and hot SSBs groups (27%). Fruit (14%) and vegetables (9.6%) were consumed daily by a small percentage of children, while animal source protein foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs) were consumed daily by 39% of children. The most frequent daily consumed snacks were salty snacks, e.g. crisps (13.2%), candy (11.1%) and cookies (5.3%), while fast foods were consumed once per week by the largest proportion of children (60.7%). Based on the WHO BMI z-scores, 15.2% of children were overweight, 4.4% were obese and 3.8% were underweight. Children in the highest two tertile groups of BAZ had a higher median weekly frequency of SSB intake (5, IQR 1,7), compared to those in the lowest BAZ tertile (3, IQR 1,7). No other differences were found between frequency of food group intake across BAZ tertiles. There was a weak positive correlation between BAZ and the frequency of SSB intake (r = 0.08, = 0.015), as well as between frequency of milk intake and frequency of SSB intake (r = 0.13, P<0.001), but a weak negative correlation between the frequency of vegetable intake and frequency of SSB intake (r = −0.08, P = 0.01). In conclusion, low fruit and vegetable intakes, combined with regular SSB intakes are evident in this group of children. The frequency of SSB intake was positively associated with adiposity, and SSB intake apparently replaced vegetable intake, but not milk intake among the children.

Protecting Confidentiality in the Digital Ecosystem of Humanitarian Aid

Protecting Confidentiality in the Digital Ecosystem of Humanitarian Aid

Global burden, risk factors, and trends of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A worldwide analysis of cancer registries.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounts for 90% of all malignant lymphomas. This study aimed to evaluate the global incidence, mortality, associated risk factors, and temporal trends of NHL by sex, age, and country. Data from 185 countries globally were used for analysis. NHL incidence and mortality were collected via the GLOBOCAN (2020), CI5 series I-X, WHO mortality database, the Nordic Cancer Registries, and the SEER Program. The WHO Global Health Observatory provided country-level, age-standardized prevalence of lifestyle and metabolic risk factors. Trends were examined and reported based on average annual percentage change (AAPC) calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis. Incidence and AAPC are based on data for the last 10 years across countries. Globally, age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for NHL were recorded at 5.8 and 2.6 per 100,000 individuals, respectively. At country-level, NHL incidence was significantly associated with various factors, including HDI (Human Development Index), GDP per capita, prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia. Rising trend in NHL incidence was observed, with the highest increase recorded in Estonia (AAPCmale = 4.15, AAPCfemale = 5.14), Belarus (AAPCfemale = 5.13), and Lithuania (AAPCfemale = 4.68). While overall NHL mortality has been decreasing, certain populations experienced increased mortality over the decade. In Thailand, AAPC for mortality was 31.28% for males and 30.26% for females. Estonia saw an AAPC of 6.46% for males, while Slovakia experienced an AAPC of 4.24% for females. Colombia's AAPC was 1.29% for males and 1.51% for females. This study indicates a rising trend of NHL incidence over the past decade- particularly in developed countries, older males, and younger populations. Further research should investigate deeper insights into specific etiology and prognosis of NHL across subtypes, and potential contributors towards these epidemiologic trends.

Association between expedited review designations and the US or global burden of disease for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 2010–2019: a cross-sectional analysis

ObjectivesPharmaceutical innovation can contribute to reducing the burden of disease in human populations. This research asks whether products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2010 to...

The Role of Primary Healthcare in Improving the Maternal and Infant Mortality in Pakistan

Background: Maternal and neonatal mortality remains a significant public health challenge globally, particularly in countries like Pakistan, which exhibit some of the highest rates of such mortalities. Effective primary healthcare interventions are crucial for mitigating these rates, focusing on enhancing the quality of care provided to mothers and newborns. Understanding the scope and impact of these interventions can inform future strategies to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the existing literature on primary healthcare interventions targeting maternal and neonatal mortality, identifying the types of interventions employed, their focus areas, and the outcomes achieved, with a specific interest in the context of Pakistan. Methods: A scoping review methodology was employed, analyzing studies that investigated primary healthcare interventions designed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. The review included studies published in English, utilizing a mix of research methodologies, and focused on interventions such as morbidity and mortality review processes, healthcare worker training, and community engagement strategies. Databases searched included Google Scholar, OVID, and the WHO Global Health Library, among others. Results: Out of 25 studies reviewed, a majority concentrated on healthcare team and program-level interventions rather than systemic healthcare reforms. Key areas of focus included enhancing review processes for maternity and neonatal care, training and education for healthcare workers, and community development initiatives. However, there was a noted lack of interventions directly improving the healthcare experiences of mothers and newborns. Mixed methods were the most common research approach, aligning with the complexity of evaluating health system interventions. Conclusion: To improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Pakistan, a comprehensive approach addressing the entire health system is required. This involves not only focusing on the delivery of healthcare services but also incorporating community insights, continuous education programs, and leadership modifications in healthcare services. Future strategies should prioritize the application of standardized and relevant methods to enhance the quality of maternity and newborn care initiatives, aiming for scalable improvements in healthcare outcomes.

The Heart of the World.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality globally. Of the 20.5 million CVD-related deaths in 2021, approximately 80% occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, NCD Countdown initiative, WHO Global Health Observatory, and WHO Global Health Expenditure database, we present the burden of CVDs, associated risk factors, their association with national health expenditures, and an index of critical policy implementation. The Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia region face the highest levels of CVD mortality globally. Although CVD mortality levels are generally lower in women than men, this is not true in almost 30% of countries in the North Africa and Middle East and Sub-Saharan regions. Raised blood pressure remains the leading global CVD risk factor, contributing to 10.8 million deaths in 2019. The regions with the highest proportion of countries achieving the maximum score for the WHF Policy Index were South Asia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, and the High-Income regions. The Sub-Saharan Africa region had the highest proportion of countries scoring two or less. Policymakers must assess their country's risk factor profile to craft effective strategies for CVD prevention and management. Fundamental strategies such as the implementation of National Tobacco Control Programmes, ensuring the availability of CVD medications, and establishing specialised units within health ministries to tackle non-communicable diseases should be embraced in all countries. Adequate healthcare system funding is equally vital, ensuring reasonable access to care for all communities.

ЗАБОЛЕВАЕМОСТЬ ВИЧ-ИНФЕКЦИЕЙ В РОССИИ И СУБЪЕКТАХ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ В ДИНАМИКЕ ЗА 2016-2022 ГОДЫ

Significance. The WHO global health sector strategy on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections and the UNAIDS Global AIDS strategy aim to accelerate the global response to eliminate HIV infection in many countries around the world by 2030. According to UNAIDS, 39 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2022 including 29.8 million people receiving antiretroviral therapy, which is 76.4% of the total number. In Russia for the period from 2017 to 2022 the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases dropped from 77,467 to 55,573, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in 18 years, there has been a decline in the incidence of HIV infection in Russia. In this regard, it is relevant and timely to analyze changes in the incidence. The purpose of the study was to analyze dynamics in HIV incidence in Russia and constituent entities of the Russian Federation from 2016 to 2022. Material and methods: the analysis used information from the Federal statistical observation form No.61 and Rosstat data on the Russian population and population of 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2016-2022. Statistical processing used regression analysis methods. A simple linear regression model is constructed (scikit-learn 1.0.2 and Statsmodels 0.13.5). Results. In Russia, since 2019, the incidence of HIV infection has been decreasing and in 2022 it equaled to 37.8 per 100,000 population, which was largely due to a higher coverage of HIV-infected people with antiretroviral therapy, the share of whom increased from 50.1% to 83.3% in 2017-2021. Identifying a relationship between the HIV incidence and number of newly diagnosed HIV cases in 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2016-2022 shows that in 2016, in 11 of them, the percentage change in the HIV incidence did not correspond to the percentage change in the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases, up in its excess. However, in 2022, the number of such constituent entities decreased to singular, accompanied by a convergence of the outlying values with the upper limit of the confidence interval. The reason for this situation was the decreased population in 9 out of 11 constituent entities of this group. In 12 other constituent entities, the percentage change in HIV incidence in 2016 increasingly deviated from the corresponding percentage change in the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases, downwards. As a result, in 2022, the outlying values in 10 constituent entities were increasingly moving away from the lower limit of the confidence interval. The main reason for the current situation was a rise in population in this group of constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Conclusion. A decrease in the number of newly diagnosed patients with HIV infection with a simultaneous decrease in the population size is the dominant factor in determining incidence of HIV infection in constituent entities of the Russian Federation. As the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases declines and the population grows, the impact of this factor on HIV incidence increases. An increase in the number of constituent entities with the decreasing number of newly diagnosed HIV cases is reducing, and especially those with a simultaneous increase in population, will contribute to a faster trend pivot towards a decreasing HIV incidence.

Natural History of Influenza B Virus-Current Knowledge on Treatment, Resistance and Therapeutic Options.

Influenza B virus (IBV) significantly impacts the health and the economy of the global population. WHO global health estimates project 1 billion flu cases annually, with 3 to 5 million resulting in severe disease and 0.3 to 0.5 million influenza-related deaths worldwide. Influenza B virus epidemics result in significant economic losses due to healthcare expenses, reduced workforce productivity, and strain on healthcare systems. Influenza B virus epidemics, such as the 1987-1988 Yamagata lineage outbreak and the 2001-2002 Victoria lineage outbreak, had a significant global impact. IBV's fast mutation and replication rates facilitate rapid adaptation to the environment, enabling the evasion of existing immunity and the development of resistance to virus-targeting treatments. This leads to annual outbreaks and necessitates the development of new vaccination formulations. This review aims to elucidate IBV's evolutionary genomic organization and life cycle and provide an overview of anti-IBV drugs, resistance, treatment options, and prospects for IBV biology, emphasizing challenges in preventing and treating IBV infection.

Social and economic factors associated with child unintentional injury mortality in high-income countries

IntroductionRecognising the connection between country-level social determinants of health, and child unintentional injury mortality can contribute to better resource allocation for child safety. This cross-sectional country-level study aims to investigate...

Biomarkers of chronic airflow limitation and COPD identified by mass spectrometry.

COPD affects 300 million people worldwide and is the third leading cause of death according to World Health Organization global health estimates. Early symptoms are subtle, and so COPD is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Thus, there is an unmet need for biomarkers that can identify individuals at early stages of the disease before clinical symptoms have manifested. To date, few biomarkers are available for clinical diagnostic use in COPD. We evaluated a panel of serum biomarkers related to inflammation and infection for their ability to discriminate between 77 subjects with chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and 142 subjects with COPD, versus 150 healthy subjects (divided into two control groups that were matched with regards to age, gender and smoking to CAL and COPD). Healthy subjects and CAL were from Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD), a population-based study. CAL was defined by post-bronchodilatory forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio <0.7 in the BOLD population. COPD subjects were from Tools for Identifying Exacerbations (TIE), a COPD patient cohort. Quantification of 100 biomarker candidates was done by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Several protein-derived peptides were upregulated in CAL, compared to controls; most notably peptides representing histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP1), α1-antitrypsin (α1AT) and fibronectin. Out of these, HRG-, AGP1- and α1AT-specific peptides were also elevated in the COPD cohort. HRG, AGP1 and α1AT biomarkers distinguish subjects with CAL and COPD from healthy controls. HRG and AGP1 represent novel findings.

Perampanel effectiveness in treating ROGDI-related Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome: first reported case in China and literature review

PurposeThis study reported the first case of Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome (KTS) in China and reviewed the literature of the reported cases.MethodsThis patient was registered at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The patient’s symptoms and treatments were recorded in detail, and the patient was monitored for six years. We employed a combination of the following search terms and Boolean operators in our search strategy: Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome, KTS, and ROGDI. These terms were carefully selected to capture a broad range of relevant publications in PubMed, Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, including synonyms, variations, and specific terms related to KTS. The pathogenicity of the variants was predicted using SpliceAI and MutationTaster, and the structures of the ROGDI mutations were constructed using I-TASSER.ResultsThis is the first case report of KTS in China. Our patient presented with epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. A trio-WES revealed homozygous mutations in ROGDI (c.46-37_46-30del). The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and video electroencephalogram (VEEG) were normal. The efficacy of perampanel (PMP) in treating seizures and intellectual disability was apparent. Furthermore, 43 cases of ROGDI-related KTS were retrieved. 100% exhibited epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. 17.2% received a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 3.4% were under suspicion of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Language disorders were observed in all patients. Emotional disorders, notably self-harm behaviors (9.1%), were also reported.ConclusionROGDI-related KTS is a rare neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by three classic clinical manifestations: epilepsy, global developmental delay, and amelogenesis imperfecta. Moreover, patients could present comorbidities, including ADHD, ASD, emotional disorders, and language disorders. PMP may be a potential drug with relatively good efficacy, but long-term clinical trials are still needed.

Suicidality among university students in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review.

The prevalence of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among university students is a global concern. Cultural values, social determinants, religion, and especially growing stress all play an important role in this. This systematic review aimed to identify potential protective and risk factors thought to be associated with suicidal ideation among students in the Eastern Mediterranean region and highlight the importance of developing an effective health care response. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO Global Health Library, IMEMR, Web of Science Core Collections and Farsi and Arabic databases were searched for papers in English, Farsi, and Arabic. A combination of validated filters, free text keywords, and Mesh and Non-Mesh terms were used to retrieve relevant literature. A total of 2774 papers were found after the search, 257 selected for full-text review, and 72 papers included in the final review. Family and peer support play a potential protective role in the development of suicidal ideation among university students, while adverse life events, bullying, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions were identified as risk factors. Suicidality was likely under-reported due to stigma around social and cultural factors. Factors involving religion and culture may act as both protective and risk factors and require more in-depth investigation. The student population in the Eastern Mediterranean region face many challenges. The common theme of suicidality emerged as an indicator of an imbalance of resources and stress, which needs to be addressed proactively, given a most likely underreporting of suicidal ideation and attempts due to stigma.

Maternal and congenital syphilis attributable to ethnoracial inequalities: a national record-linkage longitudinal study of 15 million births in Brazil

This study estimated ethnoracial inequalities in maternal and congenital syphilis in Brazil, understanding race as a relational category product of a sociopolitical construct that functions as an essential tool of racism and its manifestations. We linked routinely collected data from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2017 to conduct a population-based study in Brazil. We estimated the attributable fraction of race (skin colour) for the entire population and specific subgroups compared with White women using adjusted logistic regression. We also obtained the attributable fraction of the intersection between two social markers (race and education) and compared it with White women with more than 12 years of education as the baseline. Of 15 810 488 birth records, 144 564 women had maternal syphilis and 79 580 had congenital syphilis. If all women had the same baseline risk as White women, 35% (95% CI 34·89-36·10) of all maternal syphilis and 41% (40·49-42·09) of all congenital syphilis would have been prevented. Compared with other ethnoracial categories, these percentages were higher among Parda/Brown women (46% [45·74-47·20] of maternal syphilis and 52% [51·09-52·93] of congenital syphilis would have been prevented) and Black women (61% [60·25-61·75] of maternal syphilis and 67% [65·87-67·60] of congenital syphilis would have been prevented). If all ethnoracial groups had the same risk as White women with more than 12 years of education, 87% of all maternal syphilis and 89% of all congenital syphilis would have been prevented. Only through effective control of maternal syphilis among populations at higher risk (eg, Black and Parda/Brown women with lower educational levels) can WHO's global health initiative to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of syphilis be made feasible. Recognising that racism and other intersecting forms of oppression affect the lives of minoritised groups and advocating for actions through the lens of intersectionality is imperative for attaining and guaranteeing health equity. Achieving health equality needs to be addressed to achieve syphilis control. Given the scale and complexity of the problem (which is unlikely to be unique to Brazil), structural issues and social markers of oppression, such as race and education, must be considered to prevent maternal and congenital syphilis and improve maternal and child outcomes globally. Wellcome Trust, CNPq-Brazil. For the Portuguese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

A glimpse into the future: modelling global prevalence of hypertension

BackgroundHypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Insights and foresights on trends of hypertension prevalence are crucial to informing health policymaking. We examined and projected the patterns of hypertension prevalence among sexes.MethodsUsing annual hypertension prevalence (18 + years) data sourced from WHO Global Health Observatory data repository from 1975 to 2015, Prophet models were developed to forecast the 2040 prevalence of hypertension in males, females, and both sexes. We used k-means clustering and self-organising maps to determine the clusters of hypertension prevalence concerning both sexes among 176 countries.ResultsWorldwide, Croatia is estimated to have the highest prevalence of hypertension in males by 2040, while that of females is in Niger. Among the world’s most populated countries, Pakistan and India are likely to increase by 7.7% and 4.0% respectively in both sexes. South-East Asia is projected to experience the largest hypertension prevalence in males, whereas Africa is estimated to have the highest prevalence of hypertension in females. Low-income countries are projected to have the highest prevalence of hypertension in both sexes. By 2040, the prevalence of hypertension worldwide is expected to be higher in the male population than in female. Globally, the prevalence of hypertension is projected to decrease from 22.1% in 2015 to 20.3% (20.2 – 20.4%) in 2040. We also identified three patterns of hypertension prevalence in 2040, cluster one countries are estimated to have the highest prevalence of hypertension in males (29.6%, 22.2 – 41.1%) and females (29.6%, 19.4 – 38.7%).ConclusionThese findings emphasise the need for new and effective approaches toward the prevention and control of hypertension in Africa, South-East Asia, and Low-income countries.

Pharmacotherapy in Cardiovascular Disease with Chronic Kidney Disease Medications: A Comprehensive Literature

A progressive decrease of renal function is a symptom of chronic kidney disease, commonly known as chronic kidney failure. The body may accumulate hazardous amounts of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes if the patient has advanced chronic kidney disease. There are several causative factors which lead to CKD which include high or low blood pressure, more accumulation of cholesterol, diabetes and many more. According to WHO global health statistics in 2012, 864,226 mortalities (or 15% of all deaths worldwide) were attributed to this illness. CKD was categorized 14th on the index of principal causes of death, having 122 mortalities per 100,000 persons. Most of the causes of deaths were due to sudden cardiac arrests in CKD patients. In this review, we made a list of 10 FDA approved medications which has proven to decrease CKD and fatalities caused by cardiac arrests. SGLT-2 inhibitors have shown promising results in manipulating kidney functions to improve the efficiency of heart.

Cancer Burden Variations and Convergences in Globalization: A Comparative Study on the Tracheal, Bronchus, and Lung (TBL) and Liver Cancer Burdens Among WHO Regions from 1990 to 2019

Lung cancer and liver cancer are the leading and third causes of cancer death, respectively. Both lung and liver cancer are with clear major risk factors. A thorough understanding of their burdens in the context of globalization, especially the convergences and variations among WHO regions, is useful in precision cancer prevention worldwide and understanding the changing epidemiological trends with the expanding globalization. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) and WHO Global Health Observatory (GHO) database were analyzed to evaluate the burden metrics and risk factors of trachea, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer and liver cancer. Western Pacific Region (WPR) had the highest age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) for both liver cancer (11.02 [9.62–12.61] per 100,000 population) and TBL cancer (38.82 [33.63–44.04] per 100,000 population) in 2019. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for liver and TBL cancer elevated with the increasing sociodemographic index (SDI) level, except for liver cancer in WPR and TBL cancer in European Region (EUR). Region of the Americas (AMR) showed the biggest upward trends of liver cancer age-standardized rates (ASRs), as well as the biggest downward trends of TBL cancer ASRs, followed by Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Alcohol use and smoking were the leading cause of liver and TBL cancer death in most WHO regions. Variances of ASRs for liver and TBL cancer among WHO memberships have been decreasing during the past decade. The homogenization and convergence of cancer burdens were also demonstrated in different agegroups and sexes and in the evolution of associated risk factors and etiology. In conclusion, our study reflects the variations and convergences in the liver and lung cancer burdens among the WHO regions with the developing globalization, which suggests that we need to be acutely aware of the global homogeneity of the disease burden that accompanies increasing globalization, including the global convergences in various populations, risk factors, and burden metrics.Graphical